Process for coating articles of food



Patented Aug. 4, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE OOD Georg Giiren, Berlin, Germany, assignor to Carl Colin, Cologne, Germany No Drawing. Application September 1, 1933, Serial No. 687,915. In France March 30, 1933 2 Claims. (Cl. 99169) This invention relates to a process for coating articles of food, whereby solutions or emulsions prepared from disintegrated animal substances of especially albuminous character constitute the starting materials.

I am aware of the existence of a process for the manufacture of such coatings, envelopes or skins, which process is carried out in the following manner.

From disintegrated animal substances for instance skins or waste thereof emulsions are made with the aid of water or aqueous liquids, or solutions of substances such as glue, gelatine etc. obtained by treating the respective animal substances with steam. Then the smoked articles of food are either dipped into the respective emulsions or solutions or coated therewith. Finally the water forming a part of the emulsion or solution adhering to the respective articles of food is caused to evaporate, whereupon there will remain upon the latter an envelope or a skin, that is hardened by known hardening agents, f. i. formaldehyde.

It has however been proved, that the envelopes or skins produced in this mannensufier from many drawbacks.

Thus, for instance, their mechanical resistance is insufficient, especially against pressure, because they are not sufficiently pliable and elastic. When the articles of food commence to dry-up and shrink, the envelope or skin does not contract correspondingly to changes in shape and volume of the same. In consequence thereof empty spaces are formed between the envelope or skin and the enclosed article of food and as the envelope or skin is brittle, holes are formed therein. Finally also the water-repulsive capacity of the envelopes or skins in question is insuflicient.

All these disadvantages are obviated in and by the present improved process which is distinguished from the said known one by a pluralitfy of important features as described hereina ter.

The coating, envelope or skin is produced upon articles of food not after the same have been exposed to smoke but prior thereto. Thus, when the hams or sausages etc. have been prepared in known manner for, smoking by cleaning and salting, they are, according to this invention, dipped directly into the above mentioned solution or emulsion. Then the articles are withdrawn from the solution or suspension, and the water contained in the adhering layer of the same is caused to evaporate so that a nearly dry envelope or skin remains on the articles of food, whereupon they are with the adhering skin suspended in the smoking chamber.

The useful effect obtained by this reversal of the working steps is, that the coating forming 5 the envelope or skin remains pliable and elastic and follows the changes of the shape and the volume of the articles of food, when these become dry, so that empty spaces between the envelope or skin and the food-material are com- 10 pletely obviated. Besides, the operation is simplified in that one of the stages formerly necessary, namely the hardening, can now be dispensed with entirely.

In order to give the envelope or skin a 15 greater mechanical strength, the smoking is effected with the aid of a particular smoking powder, which when being ignited develops gases exerting a hardening action upon the albuminous substances in the envelope or skin. 2Q Such a smoking powder, which is to be added to the sawdust or similar combustible material,

consists besides of spices, such, for instance, as pepper, of a small part of known hardening agents f. i. aliphatic aldehyde. 25

On the other hand, there may .be added to the solutions or emulsions intended to form the envelope or skin glycerine-ester of the oleic and/or other fatty acids or substances that form I solid, resin-like bodies with the hardening 30 agents contained in the smoking gases. The hardening effect of the smoking gases prevents the dropping of liquid from the not quite solidified envelope or skin.

In the following I give an example of how 35 the process can be carried out:

Waste of skins or other animal albuminous materials iscareiully cleaned. Similarly also the gelatine is cleaned. Thereafter the material is disintegrated and ground by means of a suitable 40 apparatus, for instance a wet mill or a roller rubbing machine in which water or an aqueous salt solution is added during the grinding. The proportions are so chosen, that the suspension formed contains from 12 to 35% of solid mattel. To this suspension are added about 5% of a mixture consisting of about parts of castoroil and of about 50 parts of glycerine. The finished emulsion is heated to about 50 0., prior to its use. The hams or sausages or the like pre- 50 pared in known manner for the smoking procedure are then dipped into the heated emulsion for about 1 second and thereupon dried up for about half an hour, during which time an envelope or a skin permeable to--smoke forms upon the respective articles of food. Now these articles are introduced into the smoke chamber, in which is ignited a smoke powder composed of about 98% of wood chips or sawdust or the like, about 1.5% of a mixture of known spices and used for the purpose in view and 0.5% substances, which have a hardening effect on the albumin, for instance formaldehyde. The smoking is then efiected in the known manner.

If there are larger irregularities, cavities or the like on'the articles of food, it is essential for the purpose in view to brush them over with the emulsion prior to the formation of the envelope or skin.

Instead of a suspension formed by disintegration of skin or similar animal parts, solutions of glue or gelatine or similar substances may be used.

A particularly valuable property of the envelopes or skins produced according to this improved process resides therein that the fresh appearance and color of the articles of food is permanently preserved.

What I claim is:

LA process for coating articles of food preparatory to smoking, which consists of disintegrating waste animal substances, mixing the disintegrated substances with a hot aqueous liquid thus producing an emulsion, adding to the emulsion castor oil and glycerine, thereupon quickly dipping the unsmoked articles in the emulsion, and then drying the articles to form a skin thereon and finally smoking the articles with the aid of a smoking powder, which contains formaldehyde.

2. A process for coating articles of food preparatory to smoking, which consists of disintegrating waste animal substances, mixing the disintegrated substances with a hot salt brine at about 50 C. thus producing an emulsion, adding to the emulsion 5% of a mixture of 50% castor oil and 50% glycerine, thereupon quickly dipping the unsmoked articles in the emulsion,

then drying the articles to form a skin thereon 2C and smoking the same by means of a smoking powder, containing formaldehyde. l

GEORG G6REN.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 2,050,004.

August 4, 1936.

GEORG GOREN.

It is hereby certified that the name of the assignee in the above numberec patent was erroneously written and printed as "Carl Cohn" whereas said name should have been written and printed as Carl Cahn, of Cologne, Germany, as shown by the records of assignments in this office; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 3rd day of November, A. D. 1936.

Henry Van Arsdale (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

